Parents use Apple Watch to send new baby's heartbeat to relatives

A family has found a touching new way to use the Apple Watch's heartbeat sensor that isn't gimmicky or useless. They opted to let friends and family know that their newborn baby was alive and well in a unique way - by sending her heartbeat with the watch.

UberGizmo reports how the new mother held her Apple Watch Sport against the child's tiny arm. Obscuring the baby's wrist, the watch's pulse detector successfully found the beat of the baby's heart, measured and stored it.

From there, the heartbeat could be sent to families and friends and even felt by other Apple Watch users. Apparently, family members who could not be there for the birth were very impressed with what the Apple Watch had facilitated.

The family filmed the proceedings as the watch measured the baby's pulse. The video is available to watch on YouTube and many have described it as being strangely touching.

The happy new parents said afterwards: "Our first child was born and we used an Apple Watch Sport to send his heartbeat to our distant family members. It was a really awesome experience that we couldn't have done without the Apple Watch.”

The idea is certainly unique but probably unlikely to catch on. It does represent how technology can influence and change every aspect of human living though as even at the birth of a child the Apple Watch has shown that it can be usefully present.

Many have laughed at how the Apple Watch lets you share heartbeats with other users. Your friend can feel your heartbeat being tapped against their wrist by the "Digital Touch" feature of the watch.

Digital Touch is also used to tap your wrist when you get a notification on the watch or another action that needs your attention. Apple describes the feature as a way to communicate without words but criticizers have branded it as gimmicky and unnecessary. Either way, one family has certainly found a useful application for it.